Ohio pest control licensing at a glance
Agency
Ohio Dept. of Agriculture
Business license
$35/yr
+ $35 per location
Applicator license
$35/yr
Insurance
$300K
per occurrence / aggregate
License types and fees
| License | Who needs it | Key requirements | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Applicator License | Anyone applying pesticides to the property of another for hire, or for a government agency/school district | Pass general core exam plus at least one pesticide-use category exam; commercial applicants must also demonstrate competence to conduct diagnostic inspections in their categories; government photo ID at exam; passing scores valid 1 year | $35 initial and renewal per annual licensing period (Oct 1 - Sep 30); non-refundable; +50% if renewal not postmarked before expiration |
| Pesticide Business License (and each Registered Location) | Pesticide application and wood-destroying insect inspection businesses; each registered (branch) location | Application listing headquarters and each registered location; proof of financial responsibility (certificate of insurance or binder) | $35 per business license and $35 per registered location per annual period (Oct 1 - Sep 30); +50% late |
| Trained Serviceperson (unlicensed employee) | Employees applying pesticides under a licensed commercial applicator | Before first exposure, read ODA 'Safety Training Guide for Trained Servicepersons' or equivalent employer training, verified in writing; direct supervision by a commercial applicator located within 25 miles or 2 hours of the work site | None stated |
License categories
- 10a - General pest control (incl. rodents; excludes pest birds, termites, fungi, fumigants) - structural/general pest
- 10b - Termite control (termites and other invertebrate wood-destroying insects, incl. pre-construction) - termite/WDI
- 10c - Fumigation - fumigation
- 10d - Mosquito, house fly, and other vector control - public health/vector
- 12 - Wood-destroying insect diagnostic inspection (real estate; requires Ohio WDI inspection program certificate) - termite/WDI inspection
- 7 - Vertebrate animal control (pest birds, rodents, other vertebrates) - structural/vertebrate
- 8 - Turf pest control - lawn
- 6a - General ornamental pest control - ornamental
- 6c - Ornamental weed control - ornamental
Category 10 is titled ‘Domestic, institutional, structural, and health-related pest control’ in OAC 901:5-11-01(P)(10). Current rule lists only 10a-10d (no 10e/10f).
Exams
- Administered by: Ohio Department of Agriculture (register online or 614-728-6987)
- Format: Multiple choice, 25-150 questions depending on category, passing score 70%; core + at least one category required
- Exam fee note: No separate exam fee stated; only the $35 license application fee
- Retest: No earlier than 5 business days after a failed exam
Business license and insurance
Business license
- Requirement: Pesticide business license required for businesses applying pesticides or doing WDI inspections; each branch must be a registered location
- Fee: $35 per license and $35 per registered location, annual (Oct 1 - Sep 30)
Insurance / bond
- Requirement: Commercial general liability plus separate professional liability policy or care-custody-control endorsement covering pesticide application
- Minimums: $300,000 general aggregate; $300,000 per occurrence; $300,000 products & completed operations aggregate. WDI inspection businesses: errors & omissions $50,000 per occurrence / $100,000 aggregate. Insurer must give ODA 10 days notice of cancellation for non-payment, 30 days otherwise.
Renewal and continuing education
- Renewal period: Annual license (Oct 1 - Sep 30); recertification every 3 years
- CE hours per cycle: Commercial applicator: 5 hours per 3-year cycle (at least 1 hour core and at least 0.5 hour per licensed category), or re-examine
Application recordkeeping
- Contents: Structural (and cat. 7/10) applications, recorded in English on date of application: responsible applicator and trained servicepersons; customer name and address; date; pests controlled; locations and methods of treatment; trade name and EPA reg. no.; concentration/dilution and total volume; start and end time. Termite jobs: pre-treatment footprint drawing with linear dimensions (and depth to footer for liquid termiticide); bait-station records incl. number of stations and activity status. Copy to business location within 10 days.
- Retention years: 3
Free log with these fields: pesticide application record template.
Worth knowing
- Ohio fees are very low: $35 per commercial applicator license and $35 per business/registered location per year.
- Trained servicepersons may only apply pesticides when their supervising commercial applicator is within 25 miles or 2 hours of the job site.
- Termite applications require a pre-treatment footprint drawing of the structure with linear dimensions and, for liquid termiticides, depth to footer on all exterior walls.
- Only 5 hours of recertification training every 3 years are required for commercial applicators (min. 0.5 hour per category).
Official links
Law: Ohio Revised Code Chapter 921 (esp. 921.06 commercial applicator license, 921.09 business license); Ohio Administrative Code 901:5-11
Last verified 2026-09-23 against Ohio Department of Agriculture, Division of Plant Health, Pesticide & Fertilizer Regulation Section and the official sources listed below. Fees and rules change - confirm with the agency before you apply. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Licensed and running a route?
PestRouteDesk (in development) keeps state-ready chemical application records, recurring routes and billing for 1-5 tech shops. Founding members lock $49/mo.
Frequently asked questions
What pest control categories does Ohio use?
Structural categories start with 10: 10a general pest control, 10b termite control, 10c fumigation, and others. You must pass the core exam plus at least one category (70% to pass).
How many CE hours does Ohio require?
Commercial applicators need 5 hours per 3-year cycle - at least 1 hour core and 0.5 hour per licensed category - or re-examination.
Where can I verify Ohio pest control license requirements?
Directly with Ohio Department of Agriculture, Division of Plant Health, Pesticide & Fertilizer Regulation Section - see the official links on this page. We last checked on 2026-09-23.
Sources
- Ohio - commercial applicator (agri.ohio.gov) (accessed 2026-09-23)
- OAC 901:5-11-01 Definitions & pesticide-use categories (accessed 2026-09-23)
- OAC 901:5-11-04 Commercial applicator license (accessed 2026-09-23)
- Ohio - Ohio Admin Code 901 5 11 03 (law.cornell.edu) (accessed 2026-09-23)
- Ohio - Ohio Admin Code 901 5 11 02 (law.cornell.edu) (accessed 2026-09-23)
- Ohio - Ohio Admin Code 901 5 11 08 (law.cornell.edu) (accessed 2026-09-23)
- Ohio - testing (pested.osu.edu) (accessed 2026-09-23)
- Ohio - anr 0140 (ohioline.osu.edu) (accessed 2026-09-23)
- OAC 901:5-11-07 Financial responsibility (insurance) (accessed 2026-09-23)
- OAC 901:5-11-10 Recordkeeping (accessed 2026-09-23)
- ODA Pesticide Exam Registration (accessed 2026-09-23)
- ODA Commercial Applicator Renewal Registry (accessed 2026-09-23)